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Oldsmobiles are the first to feature speedometers.
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The telescope shock absorber developed
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Standard drum brakes are invented
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First motor vehicle with running boards; these were added as a safety feature due to the sheer height of seats from the ground.
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First four-wheel-drive automobile
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First car having a rear-view mirror
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First car with an engine temperate indicator
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First wraparound windshield
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First car with a slanting windshield to reduce glare
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First single foot pedal to operate coupled four-wheel brakes
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the Duesenburg Model A became the first car to have four-wheel hydraulic brakes.
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First car with a gas gauge; or, in other words, a dashboard instrument showing the level of gasoline in tank; thus the driver was no longer forced to pull over and use a dipstick to establish how much gasoline was in the car.
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First car with safety glass windows as standard equipment is offered by Cadillac.
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Pierce-Arrow to introduce the first power steering system. It works by integrating the steering linkage with a hydraulics system.
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safety glass became standard on all Ford cars
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first modern independent front suspension system, giving cars a smoother ride and better handling. By making each front wheel virtually independent of the other though attached to a single axle, independent front suspension minimizes the transfer of road shock from one wheel to the other.
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GM Performed the First Barrier Crash Test
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The Hudson Terraplane came with the first back-up brake system. Should the hydraulic breaks fail, the brake pedal would activate a set of mechanical brakes for the back wheels.
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Chrysler, Plymouth, DeSoto, and Dodge added such items as a flat, smooth dash with recessed controls, rounded door handles, a windshield wiper control made of rubber, and the back of the front seat heavily padded to provide protection for rear passengers.
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Oldsmobile and Buick both offer an automatic gearshift called an "automatic safety transmission."
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The industry's first electric turn signals developed by GM's guide lamp division (introduced on the market by Buick).
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Safety rim wheels (made blowouts much safer)
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Buick is first to offer front/rear directional signaling with self-canceling switch.
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Safety Cage
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First car with self-adjusting brakes
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The American Tucker was built with the world's first padded dashboard. It also came with middle headlight that turned with the steering wheel, a front steel bulkhead, and a front safety chamber.
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First dual-control cars for use in high school driver training classes
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The Chrylser Crown Imperial was the first car to come with standard disc brakes
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SAAB incorporated aircraft safety thinking into automobiles making the Saab 92 the first production SAAB car with a safety cage.
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Cruise control is developed
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First puncture-sealing tubeless tires
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Mercedes-Benz patents "crumple zone" concept to protect vehicle occupants
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Defroster Vents for windscreen
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Safety door latches to help prevent doors from being forced open in collisions are made standard equipment on nearly all cars.
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Although available and mandated for years in Canada and Scandinavia, daytime running lights start to be offered on some new vehicles in the U.S.
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Ford introduces recessed hub steering wheel.
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Volvo invented and patented the three-point lap and shoulder seat belt, which became standard equipment on all Volvo cars in 1959.
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First double-chambered captive-air safety tire
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American Motors Corporation offered the first optional head rests for the front seat.
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Cadillac and American Motors are first to offer the dual master cylinder as standard equipment. It provides braking on at least two wheels should a malfunction occur to one part of the brake system.
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Honda's two-point Belt
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Volvo developed the first rear-facing child seat and introduced its own booster seat in 1978
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First mechanical anti-lock brakes based on aircraft technology, introduced on the Jensen FF
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Volvo offers childproof rear door locks, rear window defroster, roll-over bar in roof.
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Energy-absorbing steering column introduced by General Motors.
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Honda introduces a car with a monocoque body
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Inertial Reel Belts
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General Motors produces the first airbags.
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Honda introduces the three-point ELR seatbelt
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Mercedes-Benz S-class is the first production car with electronic ABS.
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Honda introduces a car with halogen headlights
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Mercedes-Benz S-class is the first production car with a driver's airbag.
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Seat belt pre-tensioners introduced on some cars to automatically tighten belts prior to accident.
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(First in the world) Honda introduces the Electro Gyrocator, a car navigation system.
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High-level third brake light is introduced by Volvo.
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Traction Control
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Volvo introduces side impact protection system.
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Volvo introduces side impact protection airbag.
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Electronic stability control
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Electronic Traction Control
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Honda introduces the Active Torque Transfer System
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Honda announces the Honda Intelligent Driver Support System (HiDS), which provides assistance on expressways
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Cadillac is the first American carmaker to offer automatic stability control, increasing safety in emergency handling situations.
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Side curtain air bags introduced on some cars to protect occupants against head injuries in side collisions.
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GM installs less aggressive "next generation" air bags on Pontiac cars and GMC pickups and SUVs. Bags deploy with less force to protect children and small adults.
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Night Vision offered as an option on some Cadillac cars. Uses infrared video camera to display a ghostly image of objects in the road ahead.
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Adaptave Headlights
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(First in the world) Honda introduces the Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS), with E-Pretensioner
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(First in the world) Honda introduces the Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) system
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Blind Spot Monitoring
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Lane Departure Warning
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Alcohol Detector Lock
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TPMS on all cars
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Low speed Collision Avoidence
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Volvo offers CitySafe automatic braking system that automatically applies the brakes to prevent an accident if the driver fails to react (but only at speeds below 18 mph).
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Pedestrian detection system offered as an option. Uses optical recognition software and video camera to warn driver of pedestrians in road ahead. If driver fails to react, automatically applies brakes.
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Inflatable Seatbelt